A global islamic finance pioneer

Bahrain is recognized as the global leader in Islamic finance. We set the benchmark early for Islamic banking regulation by establishing the Bahrain Islamic Bank in 1978, and have nurtured the concepts, rules and standards of Shari’a compliance ever since. In this way, we are able to cater for the needs of both mainstream Islamic finance and the new breed of FinTech entrepreneurs who offer Shari’a-compliant products.

An unrivalled
knowledge hub

A growing
Takaful industry

Bahrain, currently home to 5 Takaful firms and 3 Retakaful firms, is the ideal jurisdiction for the industry. The Central Bank of Bahrain has also implemented the new Takaful model which enhances solvency status assessment of these firms.

Largest Islamic Finance
market in the region

Total Islamic banking assets held in Bahrain stood at USD 26.3bn in 2016, making it one of the region’s largest markets.

An innovative
government

The Central Bank of Bahrain is continuously implementing new initiatives and policy tools to further develop Bahrain’s standing in Islamic finance, most recently: a new Takaful model and a new a Shari’ah compliant Wakalah investment tool.

Bahrain is home to the region’s largest concentration of Islamic finance institutions that deal in almost every area of Islamic finance, from asset management and sukuk issuance, to Shari’ah-compliant insurance and reinsurance.

Who’s Here:

Discover how Al Baraka leveraged its position in Bahrain to be selected as a ‘Top Global Growth Company’ by the World Economic Forum, for exceeding industry standards in revenue growth, promoting innovative business practices and leadership in corporate citizenship.

“When you want to create a bank, first of all you have to think about the law, the regulator, the staff, if the country is open and if I can transfer my profits. All these things are in Bahrain.”
Adnan Ahmed Yousif, President & Chief Executive, Al Baraka Banking Group B.S.C.